Adjustable stilt



June 1, 1965 L.A.$T.PETER ADJ US TABLE S T ILT Filed Sept. 23, 1963 M24x. fi yf ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,186,710 ADJUSTABLE STILTLawrence A. St. Fetter, Box 315, Hubbell, Mich. Filed Sept. 23, 1963,Ser. No. 310,694 Claims. (Q1. 272-701) This invention relates to stiltfor use as one of a pair of stilts primarily by children, and has forits primary object to provide a stilt having a readily adjustable footrest or foot support which may be positioned at different elevations.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide astilt of extremely simple construction including a foot rest which maybe supported at different elevations relative to a supporting standardor staff and wherein said foot rest will be retained by gravity andleverage in its different adjusted positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stilt wherein neitherthe foot rest nor standard includes any movable parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stilt which is extremelystrong and durable yet very light in weight.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof andwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the improved stilt;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational veiw, partly broken awayand partly in section, of a portion of the stilt;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view partly in vertical section and partly inelevation and showing the foot support or step in a released position;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are horizontal sectional views taken substantially alongplanes as indicated by the lines 4-4 and 55, respectively, of FIGURE 2,and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view, partly inelevation, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 66of FIGURE 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the stilt its entirety andcomprising the invention is designated 7 generally 8 and includes anelongated rigid standard or staff 9 which is preferably formed of alight weight but rigid metal tubing. A conventional rubber cap 10engages over the lower end of the staff 9 and a corresponding cap 11 ispreferably fitted over the upper end of the staff.

A plurality, preferably three rigid pins 12, 13 and 14 are carried bythe standard 9 and disposed in longitudinally spaced relation to oneanother. Said pins are disposed nearer the lower than the upper end ofthe standard 9 and the lowermost pin 12 is preferably disposed about afoot above the bottom portion of the cap 10. Each of said pin includes arigid body portion 15 which extends diametrically through and is securedin the standard 9, in any conventional manner. Each body 15 is of alength greater than the outer diameter of the standard 9 and has exposedend portions 16 which project outwardly the same distance from theexterior of the standard 9. Each end portion 16 terminates in a somewhatenlarged head 17, which heads are thus spaced from the exterior of thestandard 9. V

The stilt 8 includes a foot support or rest 18 which is preferablyformed from a single sheet of a relatively hea gauge metal and which iscomposed of corresponding spaced substantially parallel sides 19 and 20and a top portion 21. The top portion 21, constituting the foot engagingor tread portion, is preferably of arcuate upwardly bowed cross sectionand is provided near one end "ice thereof with an opening 22 which iselongated in a direction lengthwise of said top portion 21. The opening22 includes an enlarged substantially circular intermediate portion 23and corresponding restricted end portions 24.

The sides 19 and 20 have back edges 25, located adjacent the opening 22,which extend downwardly and slope inwardly at a slight angle relative tothe axis of the standard 9 and front edges 26 which are inclineddownwardly and inwardly from the top portion 21 at a greater angle tothe axis of the standard 9. The back edges 25 and front edges 26 mergewith bottom edges 27 of said sides 19 and 29. Each of the sides 19 and20 has an angular notch, designated generally 28, which is disposed nearthe bottom edge 27 thereof and which includes a bottom portion 29 whichis disposed substantially parallel to the bottom edge 27 and which opensthrough the back edge 25, and an upright inner portion 313, which isdisposed at approximately a right angle to the portion 29 and whichextends upwardly from the inner end thereof. The sides 19 and 20 may beprovided with triangular shaped openings 31 which are disposed above thenotches 28 and nearer the front edge 26 than the rear edges 25. Theopenings 31 function to reduce the weight of the step 18 withoutmaterially affecting the strength or rigidity of said step.

The spacing between the inner surfaces of the sides 19 and 20 is greaterthan the diameter of the standard 9, as seen in FIGURES 5 and 6, and thespacing between the exterior surfaces of said sides is slightly lessthan the spacing between the heads 17 of each of the pins, as seen inFIGURES 4 and 5.

of the cap '19 or 11 to said end and with the standard beingaccommodated in the enlarged intermediate portion 23 of the opening 22which has a diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of saidstandard, as best seen in FIGURE 4. The pins 12, 13 and 14 are alldisposed parallel to one another. The over-all length of the opening 22is slightly greater than the over-all length of each pin and therestricted ends 24 of said openings are of a width slightly greater thanthe diameters of the heads 17, so that the support 18 can be turned onthe staff 9 to position the opening 22 parallel to the pins 12, 13 and14, and when thus disposed the support 18 can be moved lengthwise of thestandard 9 and so that any one of the pins can be passed through theopening 22. It will be understood that the heads 17 and end portions 16of such pins will actually pass through end portions 24 of the opening.Assuming that the support 18 has thus been applied to the standard 9 andis positioned with the opening 22 thereof betweenthe pins 12 and 13, theenlarged portion 23 is of sufiicient size to permit the support 18 to berocked relative to the standard 9 to its inclined position of FIGURE 3.Assuming that the notch portions 29 are at approximately the level ofthe lowermost pin 12, the support 18 in its tilted position of FIG- URE3 can be rotated in either direction through an arc of to position thesides 19 and 20 in planes substantially perpendicular to the axis of thepin 12, as seen in FIGURE 3, after which the support 18 can be rockeddownwardly or clockwise. When the support 18 is thus moved, the notches28 of the two sides 19 and 20 will move into positions straddling thestandard 9 and the end portions 16 of the pin 12 will be received in thebottom notch portions 29. When said pin portions 16 reach the inner endsof the notch portions 29, the support 18 can be released to dropdownwardly so that the pin ends 16 will be received in the upright innernotch portions 30, as illustrated 'in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5. The

width of the notch portions 29 and 30 are less than the' diameters ofthe heads 17 so that the heads 17 of the pin 12 will be disposedexternally of the sides 19 and 20 and The step or support 18 canbeapplied to either end of the standard 9 before application V 3,1se,71o

straddling parts of the notch. portions 3% The weight of the support 18will retain the support by gravity on the pin 12, as seen in FIGURES 1and 2, and the tendency of the support 18 to rock clockwise as seen inFIGURES 1 and 2 will additionally retain the support on the pin 12 by aleverage action.

It will be readily apparent that the support 18 can be lifted slightly,then rocked counterclockwise as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 to its positionof FIGURE 3, after which the support 18 can be rotated 90 relative tothe standard 9 in either direction for moving the support upwardly toabove the pin 13 or above the pin 14, after which said support can beengaged with either the pin 13 M14 in the aforedescribed manner.

It will, be understood that two of the. stilts S will be utilized as apair and with the foot supports or rests 18 of both stilts supported atthe same elevation extending inwardly from the two standards 9 toprovide foot rests for the two feetof the user. Themanner of walking onstilts is well-known and will not be described.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the function or scope of theinvention as hereinafter de fined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stilt comprising an elongated substantially upright standard, afoot support comprising an elongated top portion and spaced apartsubstantially parallel side Walls de-.

pending from said top portion, said top portion having an openingadjacent one end thereof turnably and slidably en gaging said standard,aligned projections'extending outwardly in opposite directions from saidstandard, said side walls having corresponding angular notches eachincluding a bottom portion, said bottom portions opening throughcomplementary edges of said side walls for receiving said projectionswhen said foot support is rocked relatively to the standard in adirection for moving the top portion thereof from an inclined positiontoward a horizontal 4% position relative to the standard, and saidnotches including upwardly extending inner portions in which saidprojections are received when said support is displaced down- Wardlyrelatively to the standard for attaching the foot support to thestandard.

2. A stilt as in claim 1, said projections constituting ends of a pinsecured diametrically through the standard, said standard havingadditional pins supported thereby in longitudinally spaced relation toone another for selectively supporting the foot support at diilerentelevations on the standard, and said opening having restricted alignedend. portions through which said pin ends are movable when the footsupport is adjusted longitudinally of the standard.

3. A stilt as in claim 2, each of said pin ends terminating in a headspaced from the standard, said heads straddling said sides when the pinends are in engagement with the notches.

4. A stilt comprising a substantially upright rigid standard, a footsupport including an elongated top portion having an opening adjacentone end thereof through which said standard is received for sliding,rotary and rocking movement of said foot support relative to asidstandard, said top portion constituting a foot engaging or tread portionof the foot support, said foot support having depending substantiallyparallel side Walls provided with complementary outwardly openingangular notches, and longitudinally spaced pins extending through andprojecting from said standard and having portions selectively engageablein said notches for supporting said foot support at diiferent elevationson the standard.

5. A stilt as in claim 4, said opening of the tread portion and saidnotches being disposed relative to one another, and to the standard suchthat the foot support is urged by gravity and leverage toward a positionfor locking the ends of one of said pins in said notches.

No references cited.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

4. A STILT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY UPRIGHT RIGID STANDARD, A FOOTSUPPORT INCLUDING AN ELONGATED TOP PORTION HAVING AN OPENING ADJACENTONE END THEREOF THROUGH WHICH SAID STANDARD IS RECEIVED FOR SLIDING,ROTARY AND ROCKING MOVEMENT OF SAID FOOT SUPPORT RELATIVE TO SAIDSTANDARD, SAID TOP PORTION CONSTITUTING A FOOT ENGAGING OR TREAD PORTIONOF THE FOOT SUPPORT, SAID FOOT SUPPORT HAVING DEPENDING SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL SIDE WALLS PROVIDED WITH COMPLEMENTARY OUTWARDLY OPENINGANGULAR NOTCHES, AND LONGITUDINALLY SPACED PINS EXTENDING THROUGH SAIDPRO-